Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-07-03
ON I'D.
CHAPTER NXYII.
sILAS Is CONVICTED.

hEuN Ou sic Wv " ~
sanguine nature with agreat deal Ofelasti-
CITY aboutit. Troubles sink into the souls
ofsome like water into u sponge, and weigh
themdown almost to the grave. From Others
thew run of rs the water would If poured
upon marble, merely wetting the surface.
She was neither the one nor the other OF
these, but rather of q substance between
the two-a healthy, happy hearted woman,
full of beauty and vigor, made to bloom IN
the sunshine, not to languish in the hadow
of some old grief, Women Of her stamp
do not die of broken hearts or condemn
themselves to lifelong celibaey asa sacrifice
TO the shade of the departed. If No. l Is
unfortunately removed, they, as a general
rule, shed many a tear and suffer many a
pang, and after q decent interval very SEN
sibly turn their attention to No. >.
Still it was q very pale faced, quiet Bes-
sic who went to and fro about the place
after the visit of the one eyed kathr. All
her irritability had left her now; h no
longer jumped down her uncle's threat
about his having dispatched John to Pre-
toria. Indeed, ON that very evening after
the evil tidings came, he began to reproaeh
himself bitterly in her presence for having
sent her lover away, when she stopped him,
1T Is Gods will, uncle" she said,
quietly. ''You only did what it was or
dained that you should do" And then
she came aud laid her sunny head upon
the old mans shoulder aud cried = little,
aud said that they two were all alone IN
the world now; and he cOmiOrted her IN
the best fashion that he could. 1t was a
curious thing that they neither OF them
thought much Of jess when they talked
thus about being alone. Jess was an
enigma, a thing apart even from them.
When she was there she "a loved and
allowed TO 20 her own way; waen she was
not there she seemed to fade into outer
darkness. A wall came down betWeen her
and her belongings. Of course they were
both every fond Of her, but supplemented
people are apt to shrink Involuntary
from what they cannot understand, and
these two were no exception. For instance,
Bessie's affection tor her sister was q poor
thing compared to the deep and selt-SaeTl-
fCing. though often secret, love that her
sister shOwered upon her. She loved her
old uncle tar more dearly tina" she did
jess. and i must be- owned that he re-
turned the compliment with interest, and
in those days of heavy trouble they drew
nearer to each other even than before.
But as time went on they both began to
hone ayain. No further news of Johns
death reached them. Was it not possible,
after all, that the whole story was an in
ventiOn. They knew that Frank Muller
was not = man to hesitate at a Eelf he had
a purpose tO gain, and they could guess IL
this case what the purpose Was. HlsturlOus
passion for Bessie was no secret from either
OF them, and it struck them Is least pos
sihle that the tale of Johns death might
have been invented to forward il. 1t was
not probable, more especially as he WAS not
present to urge bis suit, but II was possible,
aud however cruel suspense may he, 1t IL at
least less absolutely crushing than the dead
weight Of certainty.
Oa Sunday-it was Just a week after the
letter came-BoSSie w:us sitting after din
ner on the veranda, when her quick ears
caught what she took to be the booming OF
heavy guns far away ON the Drakensberg.
She rose, and, leaving the house, climbed
the hill behind il. On reaching the top
she stood and looked at the great solemn
stretch of mountains. Away, a little to
her right, was q square, p~reCipitOus peak
called Maiuba, which WAS generally clothed
in clouds. To-day, however, there was no
mist, aud it seemed to her that it was from
the direction of this peak that the faint
rolling sounds came floating on the breeze.
But she could see nothing; the mountain
seemed AS tenantleSS and devoid OF life aS
the day when il first lowered up upon the
face OF things created. Presently the sound
died away, and she returned, thinking that
she must have been deceived by the echoes
of some distant thunderstorm.
Next day they learned from the natives
that what she had heard was the sound OF
the big guns covering the flight OF the
British troops down the precipitous sides
of Maiuba Mountain. After this old Silas
Croft began to lose hearta little. The run
of disaster WAS 80 unrelieyed that even his
robust faith in the inyincibility Ofthe Eng
lSh arms was shaken.
1T IL very strange, Bessie" he said,
very strange; but, never mind, il Is bound
to come right az last. Our government Is
not going to knock under because they
have sutiereda few TeyerSes."
Then came a long four weeks Of un-
certainty. The air was thick with rumors,
most of them brought by natives, n OF
two by passing Beers, to which, however,
Silas Croft declined to pay any attention.
Soon it became abundantly clear, however,
that an arnnstice was concluded between
the English and the Beers, but what were
its terms OF its object they were quite un
able to decide. Silas Croft thought that
the Beers, Ovrrawed by the advance of an
overwhelming force, meant to give 10 with
out further lighting; but Bessie shook her
head.
One day--it was the same on which John
and Jess bad lett Prctoria-a KafiT
brought news that the armiStice WAS at an
eud, that the English were advancing mp ia
The Mex in thousands, and We're going to
force il on the morrow aud relieve the gar.
TiSonS-a piece OF intelligence that brought
some Ofthe old light hack to Bessie's eyes.
As for her uncle, he WAS iubilant
The tide ~ going To turn at last, my
love- ne said. and We shall nave our in
ningS." We'll, it - time we should, after
all the shame and loss and agony of mind
we have zone through Upon my word,
tor the last two mOnthSl have been ashamed
to call myself IN EusliShman. However,
there is an end Of it now. | knew that
they would never give in and desert u.s.
and the old man Strengthened his crooked
back and slapped his chest, and looked Is
proud and gallant a. though he were five
and-twenty instead of seventy.
The rest Of that passed without any fur,
Their news, and so did the following two,
but on the next, which was March %, the
storm broke.
About eleven O'Clock in the forenoon
Bessie was employed upon her household
duties "a usual, or rather she had Just
finished them. Her uncle had returned
from making his afterbreakfast round upon
the farm. and was standing in the sitting
room, his broad felt hat in one hand and
a red pOcket-handkerchief in the other,
with which he was polishing his bald head,
while he chatted to Bessie through the
open door.
mo news OF the advance. Bessie?'
"NO, uncle" she replied, with a sigh,
and her blue eyes filling with tears, for she